Lyme Diet = Life Diet

Food is the literal means to which our bodies regenerate themselves. Food is ingredients for cell-building, preserving muscle tissue, protecting our immune system, and maintaining brain health. These are all things at risk in Lyme patients. Much of our cells are destroyed by the disease. The brain is certainly no exception. Our immune system becomes derailed and even severely weakened in some through Natural Killer cell loss. Most physicians proficient in “Lyme” are all in agreement that a low-inflammatory diet is crucial when trying to regain your health from this monster. Lyme is one of the most inflammatory diseases out there. We don’t want to add to that. Unless you want to sabotage yourself. I don’t know. Maybe you do.

In general, avoiding sugar is a no-brainer. Gluten comes in right along with it, even if you never had issues with it prior and still feel you don’t. For many, dairy must also be significantly reduced to that of fermented items such as plain yogurt and kefirs. These foods are the major contributors to what Nutritionists and Dietitians call “silent inflammation”. It shows up as brain fog, body aches, joint pains, fatigue, headaches, or minor digestive issues. We almost never associate them with the food we eat because often the cause and effect isn’t immediate (read more here). Cut out sugar, don’t even argue with me, just do it. Cut out gluten. I don’t want to hear any “buts”. Experiment on your own with dairy, but if it’s ice cream, stop it. You know better. Many studies show that grass-fed dairy products and raw milk are actually anti-inflammatory (read more here). So I say go crazy with those if lactose is not your enemy. But in general, shop the perimeters of the grocery stores people.

ADVOCATING THE CASE FOR FAT

Every cell in your body is surrounded by a membrane of fat. Your brain is around 60% fat. Fat is required for building hormones, including neurotransmitters. Remember that bit above about how food is not just fuel, but is literally all you are giving your body to use for regeneration? That process halts completely without ample dietary fat.

Fat is also a more efficient way to provide energy to the body. Your body has the ability to store up to 50,000 calories from dietary fat, ready for immediate use. This is not body fat. This is energy storage. The body can only store 2,000 or so calories from carbohydrates and sugars before it “overfills” and begins turning those extra sugars into body fat. Contrary to popular belief fed to us by the food industry to put cash in their pockets, dietary fat does not make you fat. As far as even saturated fats go, don’t fear it! Saturated fat, when consumed below around 130 grams per day and eaten in the presence of a low-carbohydrate diet has been shown to strengthen the immune system and supply the body with needed Vitamins A, D, E, and K in an easily absorbed form. But don’t ask me if you can deep-fry stuff and strengthen your immune system. I won’t gratify that with a response.

Conventionally grown and processed animal fat (loaded with toxins from overcrowded livestock conditions, unnatural diets meant to fatten up (so unnatural in fact that if they weren’t slaughter-house bound they would die regardless from basically gut explosion), and additives to food to discourage disease (on account of the need to overcrowd for profit) and increase growth hormones.

Conventional (not grass-fed) pasteurized milk, especially skim milk

Processed cheeses

Canola oil

Vegetable oil

Cooking sprays

Margarine

Conventional butter

Nut or peanut oil – with the exception of macadamia oil

Soybean oil

Corn oil

Cottonseed oil

Rapeseed oil

Sunflower oil

Sesame oil

Grapeseed oil

Safflower oil

Rice bran oil

PLEADING THE CASE FOR VEGETABLES

I don’t need to tell you to eat your vegetables. Seriously. I refuse to be your mother. But I will share a nice little bullet-list of vegetable tips for you to peruse.

How ever many vegetables you are eating, double it. Plus, now that I’ve told you covering them in butter is good for you, this should be easier.

Go organic and lower the toxic burden to your liver. If it is cost-prohibitive for you, peruse “the dirty dozen” and just buy those organic.

Cooked vegetables are more nutrient-available than raw. I know raw diets have been the rage, and in many cases raw is good in easily digested (read low fiber/cellulose content) forms. Of course I’m not asking you to cook cucumbers. But your root vegetables, your cruciferous vegetables, your onions and your squashes… cook those babies.

For some, eating from the nightshade family (peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes) can create inflammation. Keep an eye on how you feel with these foods. Most common symptom associated with this problem appears to be joint pain. But I’m sure there are others. That’s why I gave you a link. See, I do the work for you.

For some, eating high sulfur foods can cause problems. Some of us have a genetic issue and just don’t get rid of sulfur very well and thus it builds up. Sulfur is an amazing and required element the human body uses for almost everything, but too much can create problems including liver, kidney, and other organ damage. If you have a known sulfa allergy, you belong in this group of people. Just eat sulfur-rich foods in moderation. Many of them are veggies.

FRUIT… TO PARTAKE?

If you are on a long-term antibiotic treatment program, or even for more than a few weeks, yeast/candida issues can pop up due to the antibiotics killing off the good bacteria in our bodies that keep these bad things in check. Fruit, although loaded with vitamins and antioxidants and polyphenols, particularly the richly hued ones such as blueberries, blackberries, pomegranates, and grapes, are also loaded with sugar. This feeds and makes the yeast happy. Because this is important, here is a list of low-sugar fruits one can go crazy with. Whatever isn’t on this list, eat sparingly. Keep in mind that once you are healthy again, go crazy. Fruit is awesome.

Lemons and Limes

Rhubarb

Raspberries and blackberries

Cantaloupe

Melons

Watermelon

Papaya

Strawberries

Granny Smith Apples

Honeydew

guava

PROTEIN

Aim for around 3-4 oz or 12-20 grams of protein per meal. Grass-fed guys… when budget allows. BECAUSE.

But in short, here’s a few reasons:

Meat from grass-fed animals has 2-4 times more omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain-fed animals because omega-3s are formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae. Sixty percent of the fatty acids in grass are omega 3s. Cows are what they eat too.

When chickens are housed indoors and deprived of greens, their meat and eggs also become artificially low in omega-3s. Grass-fed hens produce eggs with 10 times more omega-3s than factory hens.

Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA. This is a good fat found in pastured animals and is a potent defense against cancer. You would need to drink five glasses of conventionally processed milk to get the amount of CLA in one glass of raw, grass-fed milk.

Vitamin E content in grass-fed animals is four times higher than feedlot animals.

Alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. This is one of the most abundent omega-3s in grass-fed animals. A study of breast cancer survivors revealed that the women with the most ALA in their tissues (and therefore, in their diets) were 1/4 as likely to have their cancers return as women with the least amount. British Journal of Cancer, 1994. Volume 70 pages 330-4.

Standard practice in poultry production calls for washing the carcasses in chlorinated water. The European Union banned the import of all US poultry in 1997 due to this. Chlorine-soaked chicken is gross guys. And you’re eating a ton of it.

Grass-fed meat in general is lower in total fat, higher in beta-carotene, higher in Vitamins E, all the B’s, calcium, magnesium, potassium, omega-3s, and free from toxins associated with un-sterile and unnatural living conditions.

GRAINS…

Some people (I’m looking at you mom) can’t seem to grasp what contains gluten and what doesn’t. For those who opt to allow for grains in their Lyme diets, go ahead. But do so in moderation. Here’s your allowed list. I can’t make this any easier.

Steel cut oats (don’t you dare get that instant kind, don’t you dare!)

Rice (in extreme moderation – rice has high levels of arsenic)

Quinoa (rinse before cooking and it takes away any bitter taste)

amaranth (high protein grain)

Millet

Buckwheat (high in sugar, beware)

As for flours, opt for gluten free flours, coconut flours, or almond flour. The latter two being preferred. If you heart your brain, and want to learn more, The Grain Brain is a great place to start. Prepare to have mind blown.